Just Another Death Note Fanfic
by NightShadow17
Summary: First fanfic, so be nice, please. Mayu Kitamura is a "typical" high-school senior whose best friend just happens to be Light Yagami...But when she accidentaly overhears a certain meeting at the ICPO headquarters, how will her life change? Eventually LxOC
1. Prologue

The auditorium was crowded. Every seat was filled, and as the lights dimmed the dull roar of conversation ceased. In the front row, a panel of judges looked on expectantly as a spotlight flared to life and rested upon the piano at center stage. A teenage boy strutted out into the circle of light, cracking his knuckles in anticipation, straightening the crooked glasses upon his brow. The silent, anxious atmosphere was suddenly filled with music as the boy began to play, his eyes glued to the sheet music in front of him. The audience listened with rapt attention, the judges scrawled notes on blank sheets of paper in front of them.

Backstage, a young girl fervently paced back and forth, waiting for her turn to play. She pushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes, which she then closed as she attempted to force herself to relax. Abruptly, she spun around, and locked eyes with a red-haired teen that had snuck up behind her.

"Felix? What are you doing here?" She hissed. "You should be waiting back with the others-"

"Shut up, Mayu!" Felix growled, grabbing her roughly by the shoulder. "Look. You're always showing off at school, getting the highest grades, thinking you're better than everyone else!"

He paused, and released her shoulder, seemingly attempting to control himself. "I think that you should give the normal kids a chance tonight. They've worked so hard, and you'll just make them feel bad if you beat them."

Mayu took a step back, her icy blue eyes narrowing. "You know what? I think that you're just trying to get me to quit so that _you'll_ win! That's pathetic, Felix! If you were any good at the piano, you wouldn't have to resort to trickery!"

Suddenly, the music onstage stopped, and a smattering of clapping followed the brief silence.

"You'll be sorry!" Felix growled as the girl stomped onstage. Mayu ignored him as she sat beside the piano, her hands stroking the familiar keys. She noticed that her hands were shaking, and took a deep breath. _Just relax_, she told herself._ He was definitely bluffing. _To calm herself, Mayu looked up and waved at her parents in the second row. A Japanese-American man and his pregnant wife waved back, killing all the butterflies in Mayu's stomach.

With a sigh, she turned to the piano, beginning her chosen piece, Bach's Prelude in C major. Fully relaxed, Mayu allowed her eyes to close, playing the piece from memory, but she wasn't merely reproducing the well-known song. She added a few notes of her own, tying the melody that everyone knew in with her own accompaniment, creating her very own version of the song.

Mayu allowed all of her emotions to flow into her music, not merely hitting each key, but stroking it delicately. If Mayu's eyes had been open, she would have seen all four judges staring at her with open mouths, enthralled at the beauty of her composition. And when the last note had faded into silence, the crowd erupted into cheers so loud that anyone walking outside the building would have thought that a bomb had gone off.

Later that night, everyone in Mayu's neighborhood was awakened from their sleep by a loud wailing siren. Mrs. Singleton, or, as Mayu thought of her, Old Mrs. Cat Lady Next Door, slipped on her shawl, and opened her door to complain about the ruckus. But what she saw was not a bunch of teenagers goofing off with a blow horn, as she thought, but rather an ambulance and a fire truck, with firefighters working to quench a house fire next door. As Mrs. Singleton watched in shock, a firefighter raced out of the burning building, cradling a young girl in his arms. _Why, that's Mayu McHale,_ Mrs. Singleton thought as she recognized the child.

The firefighter set the girl down on the pavement, then turned to race back into the house. That was when the building collapsed, a mushroom-like cloud of smoke billowing up into the sky. Mayu screamed, clutching her charred stuffed horse to her chest, a nasty burn on the back of her left hand.

_Probably calling for her mother, the poor dear,_ the old woman moaned.

"_Mama!_" Mayu sobbed, switching to Japanese in her grief.

"_Papa!_" She called. There was no answer. A firefighter nearby muttered, "I'm sorry, kid," as he wiped a tear from his eye. Mayu lowered her head in defeat, her sobs dwindling to silence. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up to see Felix leaning against a nearby tree, a cigarette in his hand.

"I told you you'd be sorry," he laughed as he pulled a lighter from his pocket, clicking it to life. The sight of the flame filled Mayu with rage as she realized what Felix had done.

"_What have you done?"_ Mayu howled in Japanese. With an inhuman roar, she clawed her way to her feet, and began to sprint towards him. Mayu was so filled with anger that she didn't look where she was going, and tripped over a pile of rubble. The fury in her eyes turned to shock as she plummeted to the ground, her head hitting the pavement with a sickening _crack._ And everything went blank….


	2. France

France. I had read about it, seen movies on it, but I had never dreamed that I would actually go there. And yet, here I was, on a plane headed directly into the heart of the country. My foster dad, Koreyoshi Kitamura, stared out of the window of the plane, apparently lost in thought. _I never get the window seat,_ I grumbled to myself.The plane shuddered, and I clutched my seat. _On second thought, maybe it's better if I don't have it…_

Outside the window, mountains of clouds billowed upwards, blocking the sun from view. _Ugh, we're coming in for a landing…_Landings were always the worst part of the flight for me. I tightened my grip when the view outside the window turned to fog. _Flying through a cloud…_Suddenly I glimpsed the ground beneath us. It was a lot closer than I had expected it to be. _Oh, boy,_ I thought, and closed my eyes for the duration of the flight.

Needless to say, I was extremely relieved when the jet touched down at the airport. As my foster dad and I stepped off the plane, I looked around in awe at the foreign letters printed on the signs. _If I could only remember some English, I might be able to make sense of this…_

"Mr. Kitamura?" A tall, dark haired man approached us. He spoke fluent Japanese. "Your car is waiting for you."

_Geez, an escort and everything,_ I thought, raising an eyebrow as we followed the stranger out of the airport. Everyone we passed was jabbering away in some foreign language. Most of it was French, but I caught a few seconds of something that might have been Spanish. One guy we passed was muttering into his cell phone in some African language. I was even more astonished when I saw the car we were going to be riding in. _A limo? Could we be any more conspicuous? _Still, I couldn't help but enjoy myself as we slipped into the decked-out vehicle.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I badgered my foster dad. He coughed.

"The..erm…. ICPO Headquarters." He muttered as he cleared his throat. I nodded, and then was distracted from the conversation by the view out the limo window.

"Oh, wow!" I exclaimed as I twisted around in my seat so that I could see better. _I didn't realize how different it would be….I mean, I knew that it would be different, but this…This is nothing like Japan._ As we meandered our way through the city, every corner we turned revealed a new sight for me to gape at. _Maybe if I remembered some of the life that I had in America, this wouldn't be such a shock to me._

I was disappointed when we pulled up to the InterPol building- I wouldn't have minded simply driving around the city for a few more hours. I resignedly followed my dad inside, pulling my cell phone from my pocket. Inside the lobby, I plunked myself down on the first chair that I could find, dialing a number from memory. _This place looks like a hospital…It's all sterile and white. _My foster dad came up to me, saying, "The meeting's already started. Don't go anywhere- wait right here for me."

"Okay, I'm just going to call Light." I replied, bringing the phone up to my ear. Koreyoshi nodded, then strode off toward a random hallway.

The phone clicked, and Sayu Yagami's voice blared through the speaker. "_Yagami household, Sayu speaking_."

"Hey Sayu! It's me, Mayu. Is your brother around?"

"_Yeah, hold on a sec_…" Sayu broke off for a few moments.

"_He's coming. He locked his bedroom door again, he's so weird! It's not like he has anything to hide in there-_"

Sayu's voice was cut off, and I heard a familiar voice say, "_Give me the _phone."

"_Fine-_uh!" Sayu pouted, and I could hear her stomping up the stairs in the background.

"_Hello_," Light sighed into the phone.

"Hi, Light. It's Mayu."

"_Oh, hi Mayu. I noticed that you weren't at school today. Is everything all right?_"

"Yeah, but you'll never believe where I am."

"_Where?_"

"France."

"_You're joking_."

"Nope. My dad had a meeting here, and he wanted someone to go with him, so he asked me this morning. Well, he asked the twins first, but they weren't interested."

"_Well, I suppose that's to be expected."_

"I know. They never leave home if they can help it. What surprised me, though, was that he asked _me_ afterwards. I mean, if the twins don't want to go, then it's usually all over. But not this time."

"_Maybe he felt guilty for ignoring you for so long."_

"Maybe…It just feels weird, that's all. Why would he suddenly _stop_ ignoring the foster kid who should be in college?"

"_You _could_ be in college, Mayu."_

"I know. But then, who would buy you blueberry muffins every morning?" I laughed. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. _Oh, great. I forgot to ask Koreyoshi when his meeting would end!_

"Oh, crap. I've gotta go, Light. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"_Okay. I'll be expecting those blueberry muffins, Mayu!"_

"Bye!" I quickly hung up the phone, storing it safely in my pocket.

"Excuse me, sir!" I called to the receptionist as I strode towards him. "Do you know where Koreyoshi Kitamura went?" He looked at me blankly.

"Oh, boy. You don't know Japanese, do you?" I muttered. "Uhm….Kitamura. Ki-ta-mu-ra."

"Kitamura?" The receptionist nodded, then pointed down a hallway. He curved his finger, indicating that I should turn at the first intersection.

"Thank you!" I quickly bowed, then raced down the hallway, turning where the receptionist had pointed. There were two doors at the end of a long hallway, and I strode purposefully towards them. _Wow, they have really bad security in here,_ I thought to myself, noting the absence of cameras in the hallway. _All right,_ I contemplated as I stopped before the two doors. _Door number one, or door number two?_

As I pondered, I noticed that I could hear a faint voice coming from behind one of the doors. The other door was silent. _Allrighty then. Let's see what's behind door number one…_I reached for the handle, turning it slowly in my hand. The door swung silently inward, and I stepped inside the room, closing the door behind me.

I was standing behind a thick, red, velvety curtain. _Just like a theater,_ I noticed. Loud voices were coming from the other side of the curtain, almost an argument. I kneeled down to the floor and lifted up the edge of the curtain, my eyes widening as I glimpsed the room beyond. _It is a theater!_

The room was filled with arguing people, and it looked like there were a few from every ethnicity there. I spotted Americans, Africans, Latinos, and…_Hey, isn't that Mr. Yagami? And the guy next to him, I know him too! Now, what was his name again? I think it was….Matsuda?_ I turned my focus away from the people and focused my attention on the conversation that was being held.

"Last time I checked, murder was still murder, no matter who the victim was!"

"It's still too early to think of these as murder-"

"Then how did all of these people have heart attacks at the exact same time? I'm telling you, that's not coincidence!"

"So you think it's actually possible to kill all those people at the same time in different locations?"

_They're talking about all the criminals who have died recently! So it really could be murder?_ I mused.

"We're treating this as a murder plot carried out by a large organization-"

"Well, I'm sure that I'm not alone in suspecting the FBI or CIA-"

"Say that again! Say that again!"

_What are they doing?_ I thought. _If they're just going to accuse each other and create paranoia, then they might as well keep their mouths shut!_ My train of thought was interrupted by a particularly loud yell.

"If that's the case, then it looks as if we'll have no choice but to bring in L!"

At that, the arguments dwindled into quiet murmurings. _L? Who or what are they talking about?_ I racked my brains. _Oh- that L! Now things are really getting interesting…._

"L is already on the move." An unfamiliar voice echoed through the theater, and heads turned as a tall man in a trench coat stepped out of the shadows. His face was hidden by the large hat he wore.

"Watari!" Someone gasped. _Watari-L's contact! I can't believe I'm actually seeing this!_ I thought excitedly.

Watari pulled out a laptop, and set it on a conveniently-placed table at the head of the room. He opened it, revealing a black, Old-English letter L in the center of the screen. I couldn't help it- I actually leaned in closer, as if that would actually help me hear him. _I cannot believe this!_ _L, here?_

"Greetings, to all of you at the ICPO. I am L." He spoke through a voice filter, but I've always had good ears. It barely took any concentration- I immediately heard his real voice through it.

"The difficulty of this case lies in its unprecedented scope. Make no mistake; we _are_ witnessing a horrible act of mass murder, one that is unforgivable. This case cannot be solved without the support of the ICPO, and Japan's National Police Agency in particular."

"What?" Mr. Yagami rose to his feet. Beside him, Matsuda did the same. "Why Japan?"

"There is a strong possibility that the guilty party is Japanese, or is at least hiding in Japan. I'll be able to provide you with proof of this after a direct confrontation with the criminal. At any rate, I would like to station the investigation headquarters in Japan."

Someone coughed in the audience, breaking the spell of stillness that had come over me. _Holy crap,_ I thought. _I shouldn't be listening to this! What the heck was I thinking, eavesdropping on a confidential meeting like this?_

I slowly stood up, allowing the curtain to fall back into place. Backing out of the room, I closed the door behind me, breathing a sigh of relief. _They didn't catch me… _I headed back to the lobby, my head spinning with the words I had just heard.


	3. Lind L Tailor

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters.**

I sat on the couch at home, mulling over the events of the previous day. It felt like a dream- I had only been in France for a few hours, but it had seemed like a lot longer. _I wonder if L's already stationed in Japan?_ I mused. It wouldn't have surprised me if he was- L didn't get the reputation of being the world's greatest detective just by sitting around on his butt. And yet something was bothering me. _What did L mean by "direct confrontation?"_ Surely he didn't mean what I thought he meant….

_I've got to get my mind off of this,_ I thought, seizing the remote and turning on the TV. As the screen fizzed to life, it showed a young, stressed-looking man who was announcing, "…a live, worldwide broadcast from InterPol's ICPO."

"What?" I exclaimed as the view switched from the announcer to a tall, black haired man with a nameplate in front of him. "Lind L. Tailor…" I read. _Wait a second… Lind _L _Tailor…_

The man began to speak. "I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as L."

"Yeah, right," I muttered. There was no way that guy was L. Based upon what I knew about L, Tailor was most likely a stand-in. _L would never show his face to the world based upon a case that's barely gotten started. Besides, his voice is different than L's. _

"Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer known as Kira. I find this to be an atrocious act, one that is unforgivable. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down, I will find you!"

_Hmmm…L's probably providing a script of some sort…_I thought.

"And Kira….What you are doing, right now, is evil!"

_Oh, now he's done it!_ I flinched.

Suddenly, Tailor's eyes widened, and he clutched his chest before slumping onto the desk in front of him. I stared at the TV in shock as the body was carried off screen. "My God," was all I could manage to say.

The screen turned white, and an Old-English letter L appeared in the center. The filtered voice that I had heard in the ICPO Headquarters began to speak.

"I…I had to test this just in case, but….I never believed it would actually happen…Kira! It seems that you really can kill people without having to be there in person.

"Listen to me, Kira. If you did kill Lind L. Tailor, then you should know that he was a felon who was scheduled for execution today. That was not me."

"Knew it," I muttered.

"In fact, Tailor was arrested in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn't have heard about him from the media. But I assure you," L announced, his voice building, "L is real. I do exist. Now, try to kill _me_!"

"What are you doing?" I hissed. _He's going to get himself killed! Unless…_

"Well, Kira. It seems as though you can't kill me after all. You've given me a useful hint…Let me return the favor!"

"He didn't…" I smiled, realizing L's plan. _That was very smart, L._

"We are only broadcasting in the Kanto region of Japan. I now know where you are." _Wow. I haven't felt this excited since…well, since forever…_

"Naturally, I'd like to know how you commit these murders. But don't worry. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you. Let's meet again soon, Kira." And with that, the TV broke into static. With a laugh, I switched off the television. I felt exhilarated- like I was alive for the first time in a long time.

_All right, Mayu, calm down, _I told myself, taking control of my breathing. I was somewhat startled by my emotional outburst- I tended to keep extreme emotions below the surface. Suddenly, my head was swamped with images, and I clasped my forehead as a wave of dizziness came over me. I glimpsed a burning house, a charred stuffed horse, and felt a horrible grief come over me. _Is this the night my parents died?_ I wondered, and the burn scar on the back of my left hand flared. The last image I saw was a face- a teenager with red hair, smoking a cigarette, and the sight of him filled me with rage. Then, like a window being slammed shut, I was once again locked out of my memories.

I collapsed onto the couch, sweat making my palms sticky. _Another memory wave…_This was the second time this month that it had happened. The red-haired boy's face appeared again, nagging at me. _I wonder…_I shakily stood up, and made my way up to my room, my anxiety growing with every step. I flicked on my computer, tapping my hand impatiently against my chair as it booted up.

When the computer was finally ready, I clicked on a search engine, and typed in the date and location of the fire. I opened the first result that I found, and read the entry eagerly.

"_On November 5__th__, a fire was started in a suburban home just before midnight. It was determined by the police that the fire was indeed arson, and they quickly found the culprit due to a tip-off from an elderly neighbor. Felix Semite, a fifteen-year old student, was arrested, and received a life sentence in prison for his crimes. Raiden McHale and his wife, Flora, died in the fire, along with their unborn child. The only survivor of the fire was Mayu McHale, their eight year-old daughter, who is still being treated at the Community Hospital for severe burns and possible amnesia. _

_**New Developments**__: Felix Semite died of a heart attack while in his prison cell yesterday at approx. 5:32 pm."_

"So he's dead…" I murmured, my eyes narrowing. _He was killed by Kira; I know that for a fact. I should be grateful…right? _But strangely, what I felt wasn't gratitude, but…frustration and…anger? _Why am I angry?_

The answer came to me in a wave of suppressed emotion, and I was astonished by the strength of it. _It's because he robbed me! I didn't want Felix to die- that would have been the easy way out. I wanted him to rot in jail for eternity.___That _would have been justice to me. But because Kira killed him, I was robbed of my rightful vengeance! And if Kira is allowed to continue, other families of the murdered will be deprived in the same way._

_But if Kira succeeds…won't that be for the better? _Some small part of me asked._ There will be no more murders if that happens._

_Only because everyone will be too terrified of Kira to try anything! _I thought angrily._ If Kira succeeds, the world will be a place of fear and suppression. He would be like a king, ruling over everyone…or like a god…._

_And that's what he's after!_ I realized. _In the beginning, Kira may have wanted to rid the world of evil, but it's not about that now. It's all about power, _I thought, sickened. And that's when I realized that I had to do something about this. _I have to get myself onto that task force that L's setting up. And not only for the excitement of it. I have to stop Kira from creating that horrible future. I'd rather die then live there. _

**Author's Note: Wow, I'm on a roll….three chapters in one day! Show your appreciation by reviewing!**


	4. Sushi

**Author's Note: Sorry this one's so short, guys. I ran into a bit of writer's block halfway through, and...well, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. **

"Aaargh!"

I collapsed onto my bed, my head pounding. _That's it. I've gone over every possible scenario, I've tried everything. There is just no way that L's going to let me onto that task force._ I closed my eyes, listening to the blood pulse inside my ears. _Okay…If I can't get onto the task force, then….I'll just have to catch Kira myself. But…_

I massaged my temples._ L has valuable information that I might need-no, probably will need-in order to solve the case. I know he won't give it to me willingly…_

_I could hack into Koreyoshi's computer. We're on a home network, so I wouldn't leave any traces…But what if L keeps some info off of the computer, just in case something like that happens? I wouldn't put it past him…No. I need to know what's happening inside the meetings, as well._

My eyes snapped open as a plan slowly formulated in my head.

_That could work…But it's risky. If I'm discovered, everything will blow up in my face ._I stood up, pulling my black hoodie off the computer chair as I did so. It was the best idea that I'd had, so I was just going to go with it.

The plan was ready to be put into motion just three days later.

The crumpled paper bag dropped onto Koreyoshi's desk with a _clunk_. He raised an eyebrow, glancing up at me in confusion.

"And what is this?"

"I dunno. Food?" I sat myself across from him, making myself comfortable in the swivel chair. Koreyoshi reached across his desk, eyeing the paper bag warily. _What, does he think I'm going to poison him? _When he finally pulled out the contents of the sack, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Homemade sushi? My favorite!"

"I think I'll leave you two alone. See you at dinner," I called as I left the office, smiling as Director Kitamura began to stuff his face with the fish.

As I walked back down the hallway, I was filled with anxiety. This wasn't going to be like the ICPO headquarters- a single camera monitored the corridor, pivoting back and forth every thirty seconds or so. My timing had to be perfect. I quickened my pace as the camera began to swivel away from me. _Okay, let's do this!_

As soon as I was out of the camera's view, I came to a dead halt, right next to a door labeled, "Serial Murder Task Force Headquarters." I pulled a small black object from my pocket, cradling it loosely in my palm as I looked for the right place to put it. My decision made, I stuck the miniature transceiver near the bottom of the door, running a wire beneath the door and into the room beyond. _Perfect!_ I thought, as I resumed my walk down the hallway.

Back in my room, I sat at my desk, headphones implanted firmly in my ears. I fiddled with the walkie-talkie like device that they were attached to, changing the frequency of the receiver every few seconds. "Finally!" I muttered as Mr. Yagami's voice cut through the static.

"…another twenty-three victims. He's killing one off every hour on the hour!"

"Well, that does punch some holes in our theory that Kira is a student," A voice I didn't recognize added.

_A student, eh?_ I thought in surprise._ Creepy… Okay….It can't be a younger student; otherwise they'd be killing bullies instead of criminals. It's probably an older high school student, a junior or a senior…It wouldn't be a college student- they're too busy…Who knows, one of my classmates could be Kira…_

"Maybe not. He could've skipped two days of school-"

"_You're missing the point,"_ L's filtered voice sighed.

"_True, it is now less likely that Kira is a student. But that's not the message he's trying to send. Why every hour, on the hour? And why are all these victims in prisons where they're sure to be discovered? I think that Kira is trying to tell us that he can control the time of death."_

Several gasps echoed through the transceiver, mirroring my own. _Control…the time of death? How is this possible?_ I thought.

"_But…something's not right. Just as we were suspecting a student, the killings changed, as if to contradict this. It's too convenient. I see now. It's a direct challenge to me."_

"Well… that just about sums up our report for today," Mr. Yagami said, and I turned off the receiver with a sigh.

_Well_, that_ certainly was eventful. Hang on…how would Kira know that the police are suspecting students? He must have access to classified information! That means that…Kira is either one of the task force members, or….he's someone close to them. _

I smiled, my mind racing. _Well, this certainly narrows it down a bit, doesn't it? I'm closing in on you, Kira. You'd better watch your back…_

_**Author's Note: Don't forget to review! Who knows, I just might update faster...**_


	5. Stalker

**Disclaimer- I don't own Death Note.**

"Hey, Light! Wait up!"

Light Yagami turned to face me as I pulled up next to him.

"Hey, why didn't you wait for me? I've been chasing after you for a while now."

Light seemed perturbed. "Oh, sorry about that. I guess I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

I slowly caught my breath as we began to walk again, him lugging his backpack, me pulling my bike along behind me.

"So what were you thinking about?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh…exams."

"Exams?" I raised an eyebrow. "Those aren't for months, why are you worrying about them now?"

"I suppose…its just a really big step for me, you know? Going off to college, it just seems so…"

"I know." I met Light's eyes. "Don't worry; I'll be there with you!"

"You will?" Light's eyes narrowed. "But I'm applying to To-Oh University. It's one of the toughest schools to get in to. Are you sure you can make it?"

"Oh, yeah. And I know the score that I'm going to get on the exam, too."

"You do?"

"Yup. I'll get all of them right…except for one."

"Except for one?" Light repeated. "Why not get all of them right?"

"Well, I guess I just don't want to be a show-off…unlike some people…" I winked good-naturedly at Light. He rolled his eyes with a snort.

As we turned a corner, I caught a glimpse of a darkly-dressed man following us along the road. I breathed a sigh of annoyance. Light noticed the sigh, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"There's this guy that's been following me. I can never see his face; he always stays just the right distance away so that I can't make out his features. He hasn't done anything, but he follows my every step, and it's starting to creep me out."

"When did this start up?" Light asked, his voice filled with concern.

"A few days ago. It's strange; I never thought that I'd be the type to attract a stalker, but…" I sighed again. "I guess I was wrong."

"The type?"

"Well, stalkers usually go after the movie stars, or the cheerleaders. You know, the glamour girls. And, well, I've never considered myself to be…Light?"

I realized that Light was no longer walking by my side, and hadn't been for a while now. I turned back, seeing Light paused in the middle of the deserted sidewalk. He had an unreadable expression on his face, his eyes boring into mine. Without saying anything, he walked up to me, holding my gaze.

"Mayu," he stated, "you are many things, but you are definitely not plain."

I blinked in surprise, my stomach twitching in spite of myself. With a small smile, I wrapped my arms around Light, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Thanks." I muttered. "That means a lot."

We stood like that for a few moments, wrapped in each other's arms. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of black from the nearby corner.

_And cue the stalker, _I grumbled in my head. _Way to pop my bubble._

We loosened our grips on each other, resuming our walk. I noticed that Light kept his hand on my shoulder, but I neither commented on it nor shrugged it off. All too soon, we came to the fork in the road, and Light reluctantly let his hand slip from my shoulder.

"I'll see you later, then," I said as I turned the corner.

"Yeah," Light called as he headed down the other fork.

I began walking my bike up the steep hill, quickly beginning to sweat in my long-sleeved shirt. _I…hate…these…school…uniforms, _I thought as I reached the top of the hill, panting slightly. I turned to look over my shoulder, spying the stalker trudging his way up the hill, desperately trying not to be noticed. Suddenly, an idea came into my mind, and I quickly turned down an alleyway, out of sight of the stalker. Once I was safely concealed, I ran a few feet down the alley, then turned my bike around, and got on it, keeping one foot on the concrete. Then I waited.

Soft footsteps approached the mouth of the alleyway, and I tensed, readying myself, placing one foot on a pedal. The stalker turned into the side street, his eyes widening in shock as he saw me. He was an Asian-American, with startling blue eyes and pointed features. _Strange, he looks like the kind of guy who already has a girlfriend. Why would he be stalking me?_ I focused on the task at hand.

"Look," I growled, my eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you are, or what you want. Just quit." I took my foot off the ground, and began to pedal wildly. "Following." I picked up speed. "Me!"

I rocketed out of the alley, barely evading the stalker, and turned down the other end of the hill. As I sped down the mound, I didn't look back; I just focused on steering myself through the maze of concrete.

When I finally pulled up in front of my house, I dumped my bike in the garage, running straight up to my room and locking the door. Closing the shades, I grabbed my headset, and turned on the receiver. I fiddled with the dial multiple times, receiving nothing but silence and static.

_Damn, I missed the meeting again! _I sighed. _That's the fourth time in a row! L's probably changing the meeting times in case something like this happened. If that's the case, I have no idea when the next meetings will be. _

I sat back in my chair, ripping my headphones off. _Well, I guess I'll have to keep listening and hope I get lucky. I wonder what else the task force has figured out? _

I moved from my desk chair to my bed, switching off the desk lamp in the process. _Okay, I have got to concentrate on what I know, and stop depending on the task force to give me hints. If I keep waiting like this, the task force will find Kira before I do!_

**Author's Note: Aaaww...a little Mayu/Light fluff! Wasn't planning on that, but it works! Sorry I was taking so long to update, guys! I got writer's block, and…well, you know how it is. Please review! Let me know if I should keep going or not, because it seems like people just aren't interested in this right now…All it takes is a click! **


	6. New Year

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. **

New Year's Eve. As I walked up the pathway to my house, I shivered with the cold. These past few weeks had been especially wintry, but there hadn't been any snow yet. Hanging up my coat next to the door, I breathed in the warm air of the heated house in relief. I enjoyed cold weather, but even I had to draw the line at some point.

As usual, I quietly headed up to my room, not wanting to wake the sleeping inhabitants of the house. I was going to check the transceiver once again, then pull the plug; it had been weeks since I had overheard a real meeting. _If I don't get anything tonight, then I'll quit it, _I decided, slipping the headphones over my ears.

L's voice suddenly blared through the too-loud speakers, and I winced in pain. _Ouch! That's too loud! _Turning the volume down, I focused on the conversation, my heart racing. _Finally! It's about time I got something! _

When the voices had finally died down, ten minutes later, I switched off the transceiver for what I knew would be the final time. _So the task force under L has shrunk…and he has decided to reveal himself to them, _I thought enviously. _Well, the new headquarters will be moving every few days, which means that my transceiver is useless now. I won't be getting any more information from the task force. Which means…I'll have to solve the case with the information that I have. _

_But, there's something that has me concerned…those FBI agents…they were investigating the task force, and those close to them. L must be suspecting those people, just like I was! And then the agents were killed…by Kira…_

_I wonder…was my stalker one of those FBI agents? He did disappear a few days after I confronted him…I thought that since he knew he had been discovered, he merely gave up, but…_I pulled the machine off my desk, hiding it inside my trash can. _I'm probably just over thinking this. I should just move on, but something tells me that I'm not wrong…Well, even if I was right, it won't make any difference now. That stalker is long gone; I'll probably never see him again. _

_So the task force right now is…Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, Ukita, L, and Watari. I think there might have been someone else there, as well, but they didn't say anything, so I could be wrong. Maybe I should try planting a bug on one of them…No, that would be way too dangerous. I'll have to let this go. _

With a sigh, I flopped onto my bed, thoughts rolling. _I suppose I could just keep an eye on them, watch their movements. It would be simple to find L if I followed them…maybe…no. I'll let L be…for now. _

_Maybe it would be better if I took a break from this. I have the college entrance exams coming up soon; I should start studying. Speaking of studying, Light's sure doing a lot of it. It's strange, he never really studies for tests in school…but, of course, this isn't just a high school quiz. Still…_

A crazy idea popped into my head. _Maybe he's not really studying…If he's Kira, he could be killing people, and using that as a cover up…_I burst out laughing, shaking my head at myself. _That's just ridiculous! There is no way that Light could be Kira!_

_Right?_

**Author's Note: Yeah, it's a short one. But, I'm uploading two chapters at once, so that should satisfy you! And sorry for the long wait…stupid school…Non-reviewers shall be haunted for the rest of their lives by the ghost of Beyond Birthday! (Actually, Beyond's ghost haunted my house once. I kept smelling strawberry jam…and there wasn't even any in the house at the time! How's that for eerie?)**


	7. Rememberance

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. **

"Hello?" I called. There was no answer; it seemed as though the house was deserted. I stepped farther into the house, hanging up my coat and slipping off my shoes. Unconcerned by my family's absence, I flipped on the radio, and classical music poured from the speakers. I debated changing the channel, and then decided to leave it. Moving about the kitchen, I pulled some yogurt and raspberries from the refrigerator, proceeding to make my after-school snack.

Unfamiliar voices echoed up from the basement, and I paused. Grabbing a rolling pin from the counter, I slowly crept down the stairs, peeking into the room. It was deserted, and the television was on, showing a news report. I sighed, stomping down the rest of the stairs. _One of the twins must have left it on again, _I reasoned, reaching for the remote. Before I turned it off, I caught a snippet of what the newscaster was saying.

"…More victims were found yesterday in various prisons around the world, and every single one of them died of heart attacks. The police are attributing the deaths to Kira-"

The screen went blank as I pressed the off button. "More Kira victims," I muttered as I returned upstairs, my eyes narrowing in distaste.

After I had returned the rolling pin to its proper place, I grabbed my bowl and sat at the table, fishing the fresh raspberries out of the yogurt.

"Mmmmm…" I murmured. Raspberries were my favorite fruit, and I bought them every chance I could.

The violins on the radio dwindled to silence as the song ended. Without an introduction, a new song began; a piano piece. As the melody took form, I realized that I knew this song. It was familiar, and yet I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. I suddenly realized that my fingers were twitching slightly, in tempo to the piano's music. Following my instincts, I raced upstairs, bursting into the twins' room. A keyboard rested against the nearby wall, and I turned it on, fingers still twitching.

As soon as the keyboard had booted up, I placed my fingers onto the keys, watching in shock as they began to play the song. _Flesh memory,_ I realized. _The doctor told me that I was a piano player…but I've never been able to play since I lost my memories…how is it possible that I can play now?_

The name of the song came to me. "Primavera," I whispered, and the name was like a key; it unlocked the door to my memories. Instantly, I remembered everything that I had forgotten. My mother's face…my father's face…our house…my school…my stuffed animals…hundreds of piano practices…Felix…my mother's cooking…my father's love of music…the feel of my unborn sibling's kick as I pressed my hand on my mother's belly…the fire burning…Felix clicking on his cigarette lighter…the back of my hand burning…

The song dwindled into silence, and I pressed the last few keys, my hands shaking. I turned off the keyboard, walking back downstairs in a trance. I picked up the phone, switching the radio into silence. My fingers dialed a number I knew by heart, and I waited as the phone rang. I was shaking all over by now, and I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.

"_Hello?"_

"Light…" I murmured, my voice weak.

"_Mayu? Are you all right?"_ Light asked, concerned.

"I remembered, Light…"

"_What? What did you remember?"_

"Everything…it's all so much…"

"_Meet me at the park, in five minutes, okay?"_

"Fine…"

I walked out of the house, barely remembering to put on my shoes and jacket. The park was only a minute away, but I felt like I was moving in slow motion. It seemed to take me hours just to take one step. By the time I got there, Light had already arrived. He rushed to meet me, calling my name. I couldn't take it any longer; I had been holding in my emotions as best as I could, but when I saw Light, my defenses fell. I stopped, letting him approach me, barely fighting the tears.

"Light…" I muttered faintly. Without saying anything, Light took me in his arms, and I began to sob. Burying my face in his shoulder, I let the tears flow. Along with the memories of my past, I had received my emotions as well. The death of my parents, which had happened so long ago, was now like a fresh wound. It seemed as though my very heart was bleeding inside my chest.

We just stood there, embracing each other, the only ones in the snow-covered park. And it began to flurry, the soft snowflakes drifting slowly downwards, to rest gently on our jackets.

**Author's Note: Aww! Wasn't planning on this being a fluffy chapter, but it turned out well! :D PLEASE REVIEW! C'mon…you know it doesn't take much effort…click the button…you know you want to…**


	8. University

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

The auditorium was packed. Every seat had been filled by students and parents alike, murmuring amongst themselves as they waited for the presentation to begin. I was seated in the second row from the front, scanning the pamphlet that I'd been given. _Man,_ I thought. _The production hasn't even begun, and I'm already bored. _A single bead of sweat trickled down my neck; the air was stifling. _I don't know how the boys can stand it in here. They look like they're dying in those fancy suits of theirs._

Suddenly, I spotted a familiar face.

"Hi, Light!" I called, waving. He caught my eye and smiled, heading towards me.

"Mayu, how are you?" he asked, plopping himself down on a chair in front of me.

"As good as can be expected," I replied, brushing my hair away from my face. I dearly wished that I had thought to put up my hair in a ponytail; it hung limply around my shoulders like a thick, hot mane.

"What about you?"

"A little nervous, I guess."

"Oh, come on! You'll do fine!" I smiled. "It's hot in here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Light agreed, pulling his collar away from his neck. "And my suit isn't helping, either."

A voice echoed through the auditorium, silencing the jabbering of the crowd. Light swiveled to face the front, eyes fastening on the announcer.

"Welcome to the To-oh inaugural ceremony!" After that first sentence, I zoned out, allowing my mind to wander. I merely observed the auditorium itself; I was impressed by its size. It would obviously seat well over two thousand people, if needed. It reminded me of the meeting hall where L had greeted the ICPO before the Kira case. I smiled fondly at that memory; the fact that I hadn't been caught in that scenario was quite surprising.

Suddenly, Light stood up, accompanied by much applause. The unexpected noise jolted me out of my trance, bringing me back into focus. I quickly flipped through my bulletin, searching desperately for Light's name. I found it near the end (_Thank god!)_ of the paper, under a title reading: _Speeches by the freshmen representatives- Light Yagami and Hideki Ryuga. _

_Hideki Ryuga? I wonder if he has any relation to Hideki Ryuga, the pop idol. _Curious, I looked up, observing the stage. Two people stood at the head of the stage, pulling pieces of paper out of their pockets. One of them was Light, who was already beginning to read his speech. The other was a hunched, disheveled looking man with black hair. Strangely, he wasn't wearing a suit, as the other guys were. Instead, he wore a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans. I assumed that this was Hideki Ryuga, the other freshmen representative. I admired his bravery; not many people would dare to come to an initiation ceremony dressed like that.

Light finished his speech, and the audience burst into enthusiastic applause. Politely stepping back, Light motioned for the other representative to proceed. Ryuga nodded, approaching the microphone. _Strange,_ I thought. _There's something odd about the way he's moving…It's very relaxed, while Light's movements are obviously tense…So he's not nervous…_I shrugged. _Maybe he's just good with crowds. _

Unfurling his speech, the black-haired man grasped the corners of the paper between his forefingers and thumbs, as though the paper was dirty. I raised an eyebrow at this, smiling to myself. _Wow, that's really cute-_ I cut myself off. _Stupid hormones,_ I thought, shaking my head.

Clearing his throat, Ryuga began to read.

And the world stopped.

_I know his voice! _My eyes widened. _Where do I know his voice from? I'm fairly sure that we've never met before. So why is his voice so familiar? _

I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of his voice. _It'll come to me. I just have to listen to him for a while. It's something in the inflictions…and the tone…aaargh! Why can't I remember? _

All too soon, the speech stopped, and I still hadn't figured it out. As Ryuga followed Light off the stage, they seemed to be deep in conversation. I watched Light's eyes narrow as the topic of conversation turned; this guy was obviously making him uncomfortable. As Light sat down in front of me, Ryuga took the empty seat next to him, crouching on top of it in his bare feet.

_Why doesn't he have any shoes on? _I wondered. _Isn't the metal of the chair cold on his feet? _Oblivious to my eavesdropping, the two continued their muttered conversation. I kept my eyes on the stage, but my ears were pricked in their direction.

"…have important information on the Kira case that I'd be willing to share with you," Ryuga muttered. My ears perked up at that. _The Kira case? Is this guy joking? _

"All right," Light replied quietly. "What is it?"

_I didn't know that Light was interested in the Kira case! Why didn't he tell me? We could have worked on it together!_ I thought disappointedly.

"I just wanted to tell you that-" Ryuga began, and in that instant, I remembered where I'd heard his voice before. I quickly forced my expression into blankness as he continued. "-I'm L."

_Ohmygod, its L! _I thought. _Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! He's right here! In front of me! _I barely managed to hold back a grin.

_Okay, calm down, _I told myself. _I can't freak out right now- _I forced an extremely fan girlish-like squeal back. _Its better if I just…clear my mind…_I forced my breathing to slow, keeping my eyes fixated on the stage.

In front of me, Light was in a similar predicament. I could tell that he was struggling not to show his real emotions, hiding behind a mask of indifference. After a while, he turned to L his eyes calculating.

"If you really are who you say you are, then I have nothing but respect for you." _Sure, Light. Kiss up to the genius detective, why don't you?_

"Thank you," Ryuga replied graciously. The rest of their conversation was cut off as the audience rose to their feet as one. The ceremony had obviously just ended. I quickly stood, following the others out of the auditorium. It would look too suspicious if I stayed behind; besides, I was dying to get out of the heat.

Once I had finally emerged outside, I breathed in great a lungful of cherry blossom scented air. "Hallelujah," I muttered, the cool breeze like balm on my hot skin. Many other students were fanning themselves, also relieved to be outside at last.

A black Rolls-Royce was parked just outside the entrance, complete with driver and tinted windows. I immediately knew that it was L's. Sure enough, after he and Light had exited the school, the driver held open the door to the car, expectantly waiting for Ryuga to enter. L turned to Light.

"So, I guess I'll see you on campus, then," he muttered.

"Right," Light replied. As Ryuga headed towards the car, I approached Light, a smile on my face.

"Hey, Light!" I called. "Nice speech, congratulations!"

"Huh?" Light turned to me, his eyes widening as I embraced him. "Oh, um…thanks, Mayu."

"Didn't I tell you that you'd be fine? Didn't I?" I grinned.

"Uh, yeah…" Light stepped backwards, looking uncomfortable. "Look, I have to get home, so I'll see you later, all right?"

"Sure," I nodded, and Light quickly stepped out into the crowd.

_He seems really anxious…he's probably just freaked out about L revealing his identity to him…who would have thought that L would do something like that? _

"Excuse me." A soft voice came from behind me. I quickly spun to find Ryuga staring me down. I shivered; his dark eyes seemed to look directly into my soul. I knew that he was analyzing me.

"Yes?" I asked politely, forcing my real emotions beneath the surface.

"I just thought I should introduce myself. I'm Light's new friend, Hideki Ryuga."

"I'm Mayu Kitamura. Nice to meet you," I nodded, offering my hand. He shook it hesitantly.

"And, are you Light's…girlfriend?"

"Yes. And no." L raised an eyebrow. "Well, I _am_ a girl, and I'm his friend, but we're not…involved."

"I see," Ryuga smiled slightly. "Well, I have to be going, so…I'll see you around campus, as well?"

"Sure," I grinned, turning away as he slipped into his Rolls-Royce. I heard the car drive off as I stepped away, barely containing my grin.

_L…shook…my…hand!_

**Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know the wait's been long, but, hey, blame school, not me! Anyways, I know I'm skipping around a lot, but I kinda want to move the story along…Oh, well. Don't forget to review! Review, review, review! :D**


	9. Interference

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. **

_Wow…college is nothing like I thought it would be…_

Classes had just ended for the day, and I was headed back to my house, book bag slung over my shoulder. The cool air whipped my brown hair off my shoulders, making my eyes water. _The classes aren't that difficult…the work just takes a lot of time…that's the worst part._

As I strode down the campus path, I noticed a crowd of people standing near the tennis courts. _I wonder what's happening down there, _I thought, veering in that direction. As I got closer, I realized that the crowd was watching a tennis match; at a glance, I knew that both of the competitors were seasoned players.

I stopped near the top of the stairs leading down to the courts, wanting to avoid the crowd. Now that I was closer, I realized that the players were Light and Ryuga, each holding his own against the opponent. I arched my eyebrow in surprise. I knew that Light had dabbled in the sport a few years ago, but I wouldn't have thought that Ryuga was a tennis player.

_He's so fast…_Outside of the court, Ryuga moved slowly, as if calculating the repercussions of every move he made. But here, on the court, his eyes never left the ball. He responded to its movements seemingly without thought, the exact opposite of normal. _He's very intense about this…_

Light was equally intense, if not more so. His eyes were narrowed, teeth gritted as he raced from one side of the court to another. The ball sped, almost too fast for the eye to follow, from one end to the other, making a familiar hollow popping noise as it hit the rackets.

Finally, Light got the ball past Ryuga's defense, and the match ended. As the crowd dispersed, the pair stepped forward to shake hands. I sat on a nearby bench, waiting for the two to finish up, checking the messages on my phone. The metal door creaked as they left the court; the bar scraped into place on the lock.

"Hey, Light! Ryuga!" I stood, replacing my phone in my pocket as I greeted them. The pair looked up, blinking in recognition.

"Oh, hey, Mayu," Light smiled. "I didn't see you over there."

"That was amazing, you two! Ryuga, I had no idea that you were so good; where did you learn?" I asked, walking up to them.

"I played in England for several years," Ryuga stated.

"Really? England, wow. I've always wanted to go there."

"Do you speak the language?" L asked.

"I was born in America," I said in English.

"I can tell," Ryuga nodded, joining me in that language. "From your accent, I would guess that you come from…the state of Washington?"

I blinked, arching an eyebrow. "Not bad, genius."

Light coughed. "Excuse me…"

"Oh, sorry, Light." I immediately returned to Japanese. "I forgot; English was one of your weak spots, wasn't it?"

"Not anymore, but that's not the point," Light sighed. "Do you two mind if I join in…?"

"That won't be necessary," Ryuga blinked. "We were just about to leave, weren't we?"

"Right," Light nodded, relieved. "Sorry, Mayu, but we were…"

I held up a hand. "It's all right. I just came over to say 'hi,' anyways; I have to get my homework done." I paused. "I'll see you two later, then?"

"Yeah. See you, Mayu," Light said as I began to walk.

"Bye! Nice talking to you, Ryuga!" I waved before turning away.

_Hmmm…So L's trying to get close to Light, eh? Why would he do that? It's not as though L has a lot of free time right now, with the Kira case going on. And why Light? Unless…could Light be a suspect?_

I turned onto the busy city street, bringing one hand up to rest on the strap of my bag.

_I can see why L would suspect him. Maybe…_

I shook my head. _No. Light could never be Kira. His father's the police chief, for heaven's sake! He would never, no, could never, do something like this. _

I stopped at an intersection, waiting for the 'walk' light to come on. Suddenly, caught a flash of color caught my eye, and I turned my head, eyes widening in surprise. A tiny bundle of blankets lay in the middle of the road, directly in the path of an oncoming bus. As I watched, the blankets moved, and I glimpsed a tiny little hand push its way out of a fold.

I dropped my bag. _Oh, god, no!_ Without thinking, I launched myself into the street, sprinting with all my strength towards the blankets. The bus sped closer; it wasn't going to stop. On the other side of the road, a woman screamed, realizing what was happening. The scream gave me a jolt of adrenaline, and I pushed forward even faster.

I was upon the bundle. I barely slowed down as I scooped the blankets into my hands, tucking it to my chest protectively. I saw the bus, mere feet away, out of the corner of my eye, the driver only now beginning to put on the brakes. I closed my eyes, putting all of my energy into one final leap.

I felt the bus just miss me; the wind whipped my hair into my face as I stumbled onto the sidewalk. I stopped, breathing heavily, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. People surrounded me, asking if I was all right, but I barely noticed them; only one thing seemed to matter at that moment. I lifted one of the sides of the blanket to reveal a tiny blonde-haired newborn, yawning and blinking its eyes tiredly. Its blue eyes looked up at me innocently, as if saying, 'any particular reason why you woke me?'

"Oh, thank god," I breathed in relief. "You're all right."

"Where's my baby? Where's my baby?" An American woman pushed her way through the crowd, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hair was the exact same shade as the baby's. Wordless, I handed her the bundle. She took it gently, stroking the baby's face and hugging it close.

After a few seconds, the woman looked up at me, eyes shining with fresh tears. "How can I ever thank you enough?"

I shook my head. "Please, I don't want anything."

"What is your name?" She asked.

"I'm Mayu. Mayu Kitamura."

"My husband and I hadn't decided on a middle name for her," the woman smiled, nodding at the baby. "So, now her name shall be Elizabeth Mayu."

"I'm…I'm touched," I stuttered, bowing my head. "Thank you."

"No," the woman smiled, slowly backing away through the crowd. "Thank you, for the life of my child."

I stood there for a few more seconds, ignoring the crowd's cries of, 'you're a hero!' and 'that was so scary!' Finally, I headed back across the street, but when I got there, my bag had disappeared.

"I believe that this is yours," a voice said behind me. I whirled around, to see a tall, muscular man holding my book bag. He held it out to me.

"Thanks," I nodded, taking it back from him and slinging it over my shoulder before heading away.

I was almost halfway home, cutting across a deserted street, when…

"I saw what happened," the man said, to my right, and I shot him a surprised look. I hadn't known that he was following me. "That was very brave."

"Well, I can't just stand around when someone's in danger," I stated, continuing to walk. "If I can do something to help, then I'll do it. That's the way I am."

"Interesting. So, if someone was being murdered, right in front of your eyes, what would you do?"

I stopped walking, turning to stare at my companion. "I'm sorry. Do I know you? Because, I'm pretty sure that we've never met before today."

"You're right. We haven't met, but you _do_ know who I am."

"Well, then, please. Enlighten me." I rolled my eyes, beginning to walk again.

"I am L."

I whirled around. "Excuse me?"

"I said, I'm L."

I laughed. "No, you're not."

"What makes you so sure of your opinion?"

"The inflictions on your words are all wrong. You don't have the same voice."

I could tell that that gave the man pause. I smiled ruefully. "Good bye. Don't follow me any further; I don't know how kindly my dad will take to you."

I had eyes on the back of my head the rest of the way home. Thankfully, the stranger wasn't following me, and as I walked in the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. _What a nut job…coming up to me and saying that he was L! _

"You're home late, today." My step-mother came in from the kitchen.

"Sorry…there was this random guy following me, saying that he was L, so I had to go tell him to leave off."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Why on earth would he say that?"

"Trust me, I have no idea. I'll be in my room if you need me," I called, tromping up the stairs.

As soon as my door closed behind me, my cell phone rang. The caller ID read, 'Yagami House.' I flipped the phone open, bringing it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"_Mayu?" _A voice sniffled.

"Sayu, is that you? What happened?"

"_It's my dad…he had a heart attack!"_

I stopped breathing. _Dear god, no!_

"_Could you come over to the hospital with us?"_

"Of- of course," I stuttered. "Do you want me to meet you there, or come over to your house first?"

"_The hospital,"_ Sayu sniffed.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes, all right?"

"_Okay. Mayu, hurry!"_

"I will," I promised, before snapping the phone shut.

I fairly flew down the stairs, muttering something along the lines of, "Hospital, Mr. Yagami, heart attack," before bursting out the door.

Grabbing my bike, I pedaled as fast as I could to pick up speed, coasting down the large hills. My mind raced franticly. _Oh, god…Mr. Yagami…Did Kira kill him? Oh, no…Wait, why would he be in the hospital if he's dead? He _has_ to be alive. _A small glimmer of hope blossomed in my chest, giving my feet wings.

So focused on my goal, I barely noticed as I sped past a familiar black Rolls-Royce with tinted windows.

As I pulled up to the hospital, I left my bike outside as I sprinted into the building. Running up to the receptionist desk, I gasped,

"Which room…Yagami?"

"Let's see, here… Yagami…Yagami…do you know what he's in for?"

"Heart attack."

"Oh…there he is! Room number 207."

"Thanks," I gasped, before jogging down the hallway.

I spotted Light halfway down the corridor. He was sitting on a bench, head in his hands. I slowed to a walk and caught my breath before coming up next to him.

"Hey," I said. Light sat up, blinking blearily at me.

"Hey."

"You all right?"

"Yeah…Just a little shaken up, that's all." Light took a deep breath. "I never thought that this would happen."

"Me neither," I sighed, sitting down next to him. "How's he doing?"

"Better. The doctors said that it was from work-related stress, so he'll make a full recovery."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I thought it might have been Kira…"

The door to Mr. Yagami's room opened, and Sayu and Mrs. Yagami stepped out.

"Mayu! You're here!" Sayu ran up, throwing her arms around me.

"I came as fast as I could," I smiled, returning the hug.

"Would you like to see him?" Mrs. Yagami asked, a sad smile on her face.

"I don't want to intrude…"

"Oh, please. I think he'd like to see you."

"All right, then." Mrs. Yagami held the door open for us as Light and I entered the room.

Mr. Yagami was laid out on a hospital bed, a heart monitor steadily beeping next to it. As I came in, a large smile spread over his face.

"Mayu. I didn't know you were coming!"

"Sayu called me," I explained, taking a seat next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I was before, thank you." Mr. Yagami sighed. "Work- related stress, can you believe it?"

"Yeah. It's bizarre."

A few days later, I was taking a walk downtown, scarf wrapped around my neck. A slight chill had fallen over the city, and the cold wind made me bury my exposed hands in my pockets. Suddenly, a police car sped past me, screeching to a halt in front of one of the skyscrapers. A man ran out of the car, leaving the driver's seat door open. As he passed through a streetlight, I caught a glimpse of his face.

_Hang on…I know him! It's Ukita, from the task force! He must be doing work for L. _

Ukita ran up to the doors of a building, a sign nearby reading, 'Sakura TV Broadcasting Center.' He pounded strongly on the glass, threatening to break it.

"Open up! Stop the broadcast! Stop the broadcast!"

_Stop the broadcast? Why would L want a broadcast stopped?_

"Damn it!" Ukita took a step back, pulling his gun from his pocket. I quickly covered my ears, but before he could take a shot, Ukita paused. His body seemed to seize up, and he clutched at his chest before collapsing, dropping his gun on the ground.

"Oh, no…" I froze. _He just had a heart attack! Kira… _I started to run up to him, but stopped just shy of the streetlight, waiting outside of the circle of light.

"_We know that Kira needs a name and a face to kill." _L's voice echoed through my head. _But, if Kira needs both a name and a face, how did he kill Ukita? Have his powers evolved so that he no longer needs a name?_

Pulling my scarf out from around my neck, I tied it around my face, covering my mouth and nose before running up to Ukita's body.

I checked his pulse, not surprised when I didn't find one. Regardless, I pulled out my cell phone, and called for an ambulance. As I snapped my phone shut, tears were trickling down my face, the scarf around my head absorbing the teardrops. _Kira is protecting the broadcasting station…L wants the broadcast stopped, but Kira wants it to continue. That's reason enough to…_I couldn't believe what I was about to do. _I didn't know you well, Ukita. But, I swear to you, you will not have died in vain. _

I grabbed Ukita's gun from where it had fallen on the cement. I leveled the weapon at the glass door, focusing. I had never fired a gun before, but the shot hit true; the glass around the doorknob shattered. Pushing my hand through the hole, I turned the knob, stepping into the building.

_Stop the broadcast, _he had said. I quickly sprinted down a hallway, following the signs pointing to the 'Broadcasting Room.' Breaking open the door, I grabbed the first person I saw, holding the gun to their head.

"Stop the broadcast, now!" I shouted.

"What the hell-" A heavyset man got to his feet.

"Stop the broadcast, or he dies! And I want the tapes, too!" I cocked the gun, eyes narrowed. _Oh my god…what am I doing? This was a really bad idea…but there's no turning back, now…_

"All right, all right! Just don't shoot!"

A few minutes later, I slipped out the back door of the broadcasting station, tapes in hand. I sprinted away from the station, keeping out of sight. After fifteen minutes of running, I hid in an alleyway to take a breather.

Pulling the scarf off of my face, I wiped the sweat from my brow. My hands were sweaty too; the bag holding the tapes was damp where I gripped it. I briefly closed my eyes, the horror of the situation flooding through me. _What have I gotten myself into? _

**Author's Note: Cliff hanger! Sorry about that…*laughs nervously* I know how much I hate to be left hanging, but…I just couldn't help myself! ;) Please Review!**

**P.S. - Vote for your favorite OC in the poll on my profile page! The last time I checked, only one person had voted, so…yeah. **


	10. Relief

_Oh, my god. What have I done?_

I closed my eyes, wiping sweat off of my brow as I hid in the alley. I clutched a small, cloth bag to my chest, the tapes from Sakura TV clinking softly inside. My heart beat heavily inside my chest, pulsing fear throughout my body. Mind racing wildly, I leaned against the brick wall.

_I can't believe I just did that…If the police catch up with me…no, if Kira learns my name…_

I pushed my fear away._ No. I can't obsess about that right now; I have to figure out what I'm going to do! _

_Let's see…Option Number One…I could just give the tapes to L at college…_

I laughed softly at myself. _No way. I can't just waltz up to Ryuga and say, "Hey, L! Did you want these? 'Cause I kind of stole them for you…" That'll go over real smooth. Not. _

_Okay. Option Number Two…I could follow one of the task force members to their headquarters, and then leave the tapes on the doorstep…No, I might get caught…Plus, there would be DNA evidence. _

I sighed, ducking out of the alley and meandering along the sidewalk.

_What I need is someone I can give these to, who I know won't turn me in or blame me for what happened. Someone who is working with L…_

I stopped walking, looking up at the tall building looming over me. An idea slowly wormed its way into my mind.

_Well…it's worth a shot…_

Inside the hospital, I quickly made my way to room 207, legs quivering.

_Calm down! _I told myself. _You can't afford to back out now. _

I reached out my fist, knocking on the door. Inside, I heard someone stand up, walking over to the door. It swung open, revealing Mrs. Yagami. The worried expression on her face melted as she recognized me.

"Mayu! What a surprise!"

"Hello, Mrs. Yagami," I bowed. "Is it all right if I talk to Mr. Yagami for a few minutes?"

"Why? Has something happened?" Her face filled with concern. "What's wrong, Mayu-chan?"

"Please…I just need to talk to him, if that's okay…"

"Of course. I'll leave you two alone." Mrs. Yagami ushered me inside, closing the door behind her as she left.

Mr. Yagami looked up from his hospital bed, worry lines etched in his face.

"Mayu?" He motioned for me to sit, turning off the TV in the process. I did so, unable to keep my hands from shaking.

"Mr. Yagami…I'm so sorry…"

"What is it?"

"I- It's Ukita…" I trailed off as Mr. Yagami nodded sadly.

"Yes. I saw on the television. Damn Kira…Did you know him?"

"Not really…but…I was there when…when he…" My throat closed; I coughed.

"When he died?" Mr. Yagami leaned forward as I nodded. "Mayu, I'm sorry that you had to see that."

I shook my head, forcing myself to go on. "Ukita was doing something for the police when he was there, wasn't he?"

Mr. Yagami nodded. "Yeah."

"He was shouting about stopping a broadcast…on Sakura TV…do you know what it was?"

"Yes. It was Kira- he wants the police force to stop fighting him."

"Oh…" The full impact of what I had done suddenly hit me. _Oh, great…I'm dead. I am literally dead. _

"I…uh…" I took a deep breath. "I have the tapes."

Mr. Yagami's face went blank. "What?"

"I…When Ukita died, I…I didn't want his death to be in vain, so…I…went into Sakura TV and I got the tapes for the broadcast…here," I plopped the bag onto Mr. Yagami's hospital bed, closing my eyes.

"I know what I did was wrong…and, that Kira might probably kill me if he finds out who I am…just, don't arrest me, please…even though that's your job, but… you're not technically on duty now…" I rambled. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Mr. Yagami staring directly at me.

"Mayu, I am not going to arrest you. In fact, I want to thank you."

I hiccupped slightly. "Th-thank me?"

"Yes. You did a great service, tonight. In fact, I was going to do exactly the same thing, before they broadcasted the fact that the tapes had been stolen."

"You were? But…you just had a heart attack! You're in no shape to-"

"Not even a heart attack can keep me from my work."

I smiled. "My foster dad's the same way."

"Mayu, why did you come to me, instead of going home and giving these to your father?" Mr. Yagami rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Well, I knew that you were Ukita's co-worker…I thought that it was possible that you might be working on the same case…plus, my foster dad isn't really working on the Kira case; he's leaving it up to L."

"I see…" Mr. Yagami trailed off.

"Are…are you going to tell anyone?"

Mr. Yagami thought for a few moments.

"If anyone asks, I'll just say something like, 'the thief was working for me.' I won't mention you by name."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you, Mr. Yagami."

"Of course." Mr. Yagami yawned.

"I…I should probably let you get some sleep," I sighed, standing up.

"Yes…Mayu, did anyone see your face while you were…getting the tapes?"

"No. I had my scarf wrapped around my mouth the whole time."

Mr. Yagami smiled. "In that case, I don't think you have to worry about Kira. He needs both a name and a face to kill, you know."

My mouth twitched, relief taking hold slowly. "Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Yagami."

Mr. Yagami nodded as I slipped out the door, exchanging places with Mrs. Yagami.

_Well, then…_I thought to myself, stepping out of the hospital. _That was certainly…interesting, to say the least. _My fear, though still present, was fading fast, being replaced by relief. I sighed, walking rhythmically along the sidewalk.

Heading towards home, I looked up at the moon, an odd feeling in my gut.

_Ukita…he didn't live to see this moon rise…I'm lucky that I'm not in the same position…_

**Author's Note: Yes! The chapter is up! :D Once again, I am truly sorry. I had state testing in school this week, and, for some reason, the teachers assign a LOT of homework when this happens…if there was a book called, "How to Understand Your Teachers," I would buy it in an instant. Anyways…don't forget to Review! **


	11. Attack

"Bye, Mayu!"

"Thanks for your help!"

"Yeah, thanks!"

"You're welcome!" I waved at the group of college students before beginning my trek home. I had stayed late at the To-oh University that night, to help a club set up for some event they were planning. As I walked across the college campus, I looked up at the sky, frowning. The sun had already set, though the sky was not completely dark yet. I swore, picking up speed.

"I'm gonna be late for dinner," I muttered, taking a shortcut through an alleyway. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand jabbed out from behind a trash bin, catching my shoulder. I was roughly slammed up against the brick wall of the alleyway, bag falling off my shoulder and skidding down the concrete. The back of my head crunched against the bricks; I saw stars.

"Well, what do we have here?" A masculine voice breathed in my ear. "Did you get lost on your way home?"

I caught a glimpse of the man's face; he had dark hair and a thin mustache on his upper lip, which was curled into a sneer.

"Let me go," I grunted, struggling against his powerful grip on my shoulder. The second I moved, a wave of vertigo overcame me; I must have hit my head harder than I had thought. _This is not good; I'll never be able to run away or fight him like this!_

"Well, I'm afraid I can't do that, little miss. You see, you and I have plans for tonight. I wouldn't want you to miss them." I smelled the alcohol on his breath; I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose at the stench. I breathed in quickly, planning to scream, but the man clasped his other hand over my mouth.

"Now, now. We can't have that, can we?"

Thinking quickly, I bit down hard on his finger. The man yelped pulling his hand away. As soon as my mouth was free, I screamed as loud as I possibly could.

"Shaddup!"

The man's fist connected with my cheek; I fell roughly to the ground, my head spinning. The back of my skull pounded with every heartbeat; I tasted blood in my mouth. I lay still for a few seconds, trying to get my vision to clear. Through a veil of pain, I was faintly aware of someone rushing past me; there was the sound of punches being laid.

When the world had stopped spinning, the first thing that I heard was footsteps, running away from the alley.

_What? Why is he running? Did he…_I opened my eyes, flinching at a bright light in my eyes.

"Are you all right, madam?"

I moaned softly, bringing a hand to my head. "Oww…"

"Can you stand?"

"I…I don't know…" Darkness crept into the corners of my vision; I fought to stay conscious.

"Perhaps we should bring her to the hotel," a familiar voice put in.

"Yes," the first voice responded.

"Wh…Who…?" I barely managed to get the word out before darkness blacked out my view.

_Faces swam in and out of my vision. Far away voices murmured in my ears; a light breeze skimmed over my skin. I felt as though I was floating on clouds. It was extremely comfortable, and I sighed in contentment. My eyes fluttered open…_

I was lying in an unfamiliar bed, light streaming through a window in a nearby wall. As I blinked away my sleepiness, I studied my surroundings warily. The room was plain, with faded wallpaper and worn curtains. Despite the obvious age of the furnishings, the room itself was clean. It reminded me of a hotel room. I began to sit up, but a sharp pain in my head forced me to lie down again. Groaning, I raised a hand to my head, feeling the bandage wrapped around my skull. _Where am I, _I wondered. _Who did this? _

A soft knock came at the door.

"Come in," I called, raising my head up. As my visitor stepped into the room, my eyes widened as I recognized him. _Black, messy hair…Dark eyes, lined with shadows…Slightly hunched…_

"Ryuga?" I instantly felt more at ease.

"How are you feeling?" He stepped farther into the room, leaving the door open behind him.

"Better…my head still hurts," I grimaced. "Were you the person who…?"

"Yes. I was passing by when I heard your scream," Ryuga explained. "Did you know the man, or…?"

I shook my head, regretting it as soon as I moved. I winced in pain. "No, I'd never seen him before. I was just cutting through the alley when he attacked me."

Ryuga briefly glanced away. I caught a flash of something akin to anger in his normally-vacant eyes. A second later, it was gone, but I had already seen it. I quickly changed the subject.

"Where am I?"

Ryuga's gaze returned to me. "In my hotel room. It's right around the corner from where you were…attacked. We thought it would be best if we brought you here."

I nodded slowly, keeping the pain in my head at bay with my slow movements. "Did you call my foster parents?"

"Yes. They have been notified of your current situation. They decided that it would be best if you remained here, for now."

"Why?"

"We didn't want to risk moving you again, with your head injury."

"It's that bad, huh?" I winced. L nodded gravely.

"A doctor examined you while you were still unconscious. He believed that it would speed up your recovery if you stayed bedridden for the next few days."

"So you're stuck with me, huh?" I smiled softly. "Sorry about that…"

"It's no trouble," Ryuga explained. "I believe that this is the best place for you, right now…"

He trailed off. _What's that supposed to mean? _I thought.

"Last night…there was someone else with you…"

L nodded. "My…uncle. He shares the room with me, so you'll probably see him sooner or later."

_Your uncle, huh? It's probably Watari, _I mused.

"Are you hungry? I could have my uncle bring you something," Ryuga offered.

"I'm fine, really-" A loud grumble from my stomach cut off my words. I grimaced in embarrassment. "Then again…"

"I'll see what we have." As L left the room, I couldn't help but notice a small smile on his face.

**Author's Note: Aww! So adorable… XD**

**Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed so far! Love you, guys!**

**And…to those of you who have NOT reviewed yet…well, what are you waiting for? Click that button! **


	12. Discovery

"_The woods were beautiful that day. Sunlight streamed to the forest floor, highlighting varied patches of earth and plants. The river bubbled happily along its merry way, the sound music to my ears. I walked slowly on the forest path, admiring the sights and sounds around me-"_

I turned the page of the novel, sighing peacefully. I was still restricted to my bed in L's hotel room; every time I tried to walk, I was overcome by a wave of dizziness. However, I could now sit up in bed without much difficulty. My every need and want had been catered to by either Watari or L himself, a fact which I found rather ironic.

_No-one would ever believe me if I told them that I had been served meals by the great Detective L…but, it's true! _

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" I called merrily, folding over a corner of the page and closing the book. Ryuga opened the door, two slices of cake in his hand. I grinned, setting the novel on the nightstand.

"How did you know? I was just getting hungry!"

"I simply thought that you would like some cake," L replied, handing me one of the plates.

"Well, then…I guess you just have good timing," I shrugged, taking a bite of the pastry. "Yum…this is really good!"

"I am glad that you like it," he mumbled, digging into his own slice. "This is one of my favorites, as well."

We ate our cake for a few minutes in silence.

"Mayu-chan…there is something that I wish do discuss with you."

"Okay…"I put my now-empty plate to the side, giving Ryuga my full attention. "Go ahead."

"In about a half-hour, I will be having a…meeting with some of my colleagues. They will only be here for a few hours. However, they are not aware of your presence here, and…I would like to keep it that way, if possible."

_Colleagues…He must mean the task force. _I raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. After a slight pause, L continued.

"If my…colleagues become aware of you…they might…" L coughed, and I spied a faint blush appear on his cheeks. "It is possible that they might get the wrong idea."

"Oh…" I felt a blush appear on my cheeks as I realized what he was saying. "So…You want me to keep quiet, right?"

"Yes. Your door will remain closed during the entire duration of their visit, and you will not be disturbed until they have left."

"All right," I sighed, shifting slightly. "I guess it won't be too bad; after all, it's not like I scream at you guys all the time…"

"Quite right," L smiled. He stood up, reaching for my plate, but I beat him to it.

"Here." I handed him the plate. He took it, stacking it on top of the other plate.

"I could have gotten it, Mayu-chan. There was no need for you to exert yourself."

"I know…"I sighed musingly, scratching my arm.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Well…I guess I just wish that…that there was something I could do to help you and your uncle. I mean, even cleaning up around the room-"

"May I remind Mayu-chan that she cannot stand up without assistance, let alone clean a hotel room. Besides, there _are_ maids at this hotel."

"I know," I sighed. "I guess I just hate being so bloody useless…"

L thought silently for a few seconds, then crossed the room and opened the door.

"I will think of something…" he promised as he closed the door behind him.

With a sigh, I pushed the power button on the T.V remote, turning the volume so low that I could barely hear it. I flipped through the channels, looking for something interesting to watch. A newscast came onto the screen, an Old English letter L featured behind the reporter. I paused, listening to the report.

"_Meanwhile, the famous Detective L assisted in the capture of a murder-rapist in the Kanto region of Japan yesterday…" _

The screen cut to a photo of the suspect. _"Forty-two year old Kenji Yaibe was charged with twelve accounts of sexual assault and five accounts of murder. He favored women as his targets-"_

I flicked off the television, feeling sick to my stomach. _The guy on the T.V. …that's the person who attacked me…I'm sure of it! _

_So…it's possible that he would have killed me…if L hadn't…_I gulped, breathing deeply to try to calm myself down.

_But…why did he involve himself personally in that guy's capture? Why didn't he let the police take care of it? Did he just want that guy off the streets, or…_

I could think of only one other motive for Ryuga's actions.

_Maybe…did he want revenge for what happened to me? _

_No…that can't be it…Sure, we've become friends since the attack, but before that, we weren't particularly close…Really, the only connection we had was through Light…_

As I mused over the situation, I heard voices from beyond the door.

_The task force must have arrived, _I thought, snuggling under the covers of the bed. I felt myself begin to get drowsy, and I wondered briefly if L had put a sedative in the cake. I didn't have long to wonder, though, for I fell asleep quickly after that.

A few hours later, I was awakened by the sound of the door handle turning. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I slowly sat up, yawning softly. Blinking wearily, I looked up at the figure in the doorway. It wasn't Watari. Or L.

My eyes widened, as did the stranger's.

"Uhh…" The man in the doorway stuttered. Quickly backpedaling, he edged back the way he came.

"Sorry to bother you…I was just looking for the bathroom…umm…Hi! I'm Matsuda!"

"Mr. Matsuda! Could you come back here, please?" Ryuga called from the other room.

"Uh…sure. Coming, Ryuzaki," Matsuda replied. Turning away, he began to close the door.

"Let's just…forget this ever happened, okay?"

I nodded. The door closed behind him, making a soft clicking noise as it slid back into place.

As soon as the door had shut, I clasped a hand to my forehead, shaking my head in the process.

_Oh, wow…_that_ was embarrassing…_

I thought back to something Matsuda had said. _Geez…L sure has a lot of names, doesn't he? L…Ryuga…and now, Ryuzaki…_

**Author's Note: Bwahahaha! Stupid Matsuda…gotta love him! :D **

**Don't forget to Review! **


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